Inclined furnace



March 3, 1964 J. H. KEATING INCLINED FURNACE Filed March 24, 1961 FIG. 3 32 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

"' INVENTOR. JOHN H. KEATING ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,123,658 INCLINED FURNACE John H. Keating, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Monarch Aluminum Mfg. C-o., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 24, 1961, Ser. No. 98,088 Claims. (Cl. 266-63) This invention relates to means for melting non-ferrous metals, and more particularly to a furnace inclined from end to end to facilitate pouring of molten metal from its lower end.

It is, therefore, one of the objects of this invention to provide a novel furnace adapted to collect molten metal in the lowermost portion of the furnace for subsequent pouring or ladling therefrom; to provide an elongated, rectangular, inclined furnace adapted to receive a charge of metal at the upper end, to provide improved means to heat the metal to the molten state from burner means in the roof of the furnace; and to provide means for collecting a reservoir of molten metal in the furnace by virtue of its novel position.

Other objects and advantages will be evident from the following description of a preferred form of the invention. The features of this invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and use, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, to which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention in section taken along the lines 11 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the invention with a portion broken out to show the interior of the furnace;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view of the furnace taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and,

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the furnace taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 1.

Reference will now be made to the drawings in greater detail. The furnace comprises substantially a rectangular tunnel-like structure lined with refractory brick 12 and supported on a welded angle iron frame 14. As best shown in FIGURES l and 2, the furnace is inclined about its horizontal axis HH so as to place the pouring or ladling end of the furnace 16 beneath the loading end 18.

As shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, the furnace is also inclined about its longitudinal axis LL so as to make the lower corner 20 the lowest point on the furnace 10. By thus revolving the furnace about its longitudinal and horizontal axes, it is possible to provide a molten metal reservoir 22 (see FIGURE 1) within the furnace, and without requiring that a special well be provided for this purpose, as would be necessary if the furnace were not inclined in the manner described.

Secured to and encompassing the lower corner 20 of the furnace 10 is a reservoir extension unit 24 substantially cubical in configuration and integrated with the furnace proper so as to provide a continuation of the furnace reservoir 22 by communicating throat 26. Thus, after the metal is melted in reservoir 22, it will flow through the throat 26 into the reservoir extension 24. Thereafter the melt may be ladled directly to molds or it can be permitted to fill to a level wherein the metal will flow through a passageway 28 into a pouring spout 30.

A heating element housing 32 is affixed to the furnace roof 34 to provide entrance access means for an element (not shown) into the furnace interior in order to project heat downwardly to about the center of the reservoir 22.

In operation, with suitable burners or other heating elements mounted in the housing 32, ingots are placed on loading platform 36 and pushed into the opening 38 at the upper portion of the furnace, wherein they progress along the bed 40 (see FIGURE 1) of the furnace 10 until they reach the melting zone, or reservoir area 22. It will be noted that the furnace floor 40 is bi-level, the two levels merging at 42.

If the metal is to be ladled from the furnace, the volume of the melt in reservoir 22 may be predetermined, thereby eliminating the necessity of melting more metal than required for a given operation, such as in the case of prior art open crucible type melting vessels. This control of the depth of the melt in the furnace results in considerable savings infuel consumption, one of the important factors in economical operation of non-ferrous foundries. On the other hand, for continuous pouring operations, the melt can be permitted to build up to the level of the passageway 28, wherein a continuous flow of metal is obtainable. If the operation is not to be automatic, but a large volume of melt is required, it is also within the concept of this invention that the reservoir be filled up to the passageway 28 wherein the pouring spout serves as an overflow relief means so that the furnace may be operated at maximum capacity without backing the melt beyond the melting zone of the furnace indicated at 42. This, of course, would be quite objectionable inasmuch as the melt would solidify and interfere with further feeding of ingots into the melting zone of the furnace.

In summation, therefore, by virtue of rotating the furnace about both its horizontal and vertical axes so as to provide one corner of the furnace lower than any other portion of the furnace, and by adding an extension to this lower corner to which access may be had from outside the furnace, many advantages are obtained which are considered improvements over prior art means for melting, ladling and/or automatic dispensing of molten non-ferrous metal into molds.

Thus, with my novel furnace I am able to obtain a reduction in undesirable turbulence in the molten metal reservoir by virtue of the preheating which ingots receive prior to reaching the reservoir. Furthermore, the novel inclination of the furnace provides a shallow reservoir amenable to more even heat distribution, and better temperature control, with consequent reduction of undesirable oxide formation, as well as appreciable reduction in fuel consumption. The normal reverbatory or conventional batch-type furnace has a much greater tendency to form oxides and dross on the molten surface which precipitate to the lower strata of the bath. These oxides cause inclusions or hard-spots in the casting and cause serious tool trouble in machining. In my shallow inclined bath furnaces oxides which form are more finely divided and will not accumulate in the bottom of the bath, and will not cause hardspots in the casting. The shallowness of the bath in my furnace is an important source of fuel-having, as there is less metal to be kept at molten temperature and more uniformity of heat in the bath. This novel reservoir. also permits increased pouring capacity per pound of molten metal maintained in the reservoir.

While herein shown and described is one preferred embodiment of the invention, it is contemplated that the invention is susceptible of embodiment in other forms, and is applicable to a variety of situations which will be readily suggested to those skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing specification, taken in conjunction with the drawings and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an elongated substantially rectangular furnace for melting non-ferrous metals having a tunnel extending from end" to end, onev end; adapted to receive charges of metalv and. the opposite end. adapted. to collect the melt, the improvement comprising: supports connected with said furnace and supporting said furnace in a stationary position toiprovide inclination. from its charging end. downwardly, and inclination from side to side, whereby one corner of said furnace is pitched lower than. the rest, of said furnace to provide a melting reservoir within. said furnace.

2. The furnace set forth. in claim 1 including a reservoir extension secured to said lowermost corner,v com.- municating means between the interior of said reservoir and said. reservoir extension, and means to discharge molten metal. from said reservoir extension.

3. The furnace set forth in claim 1, including a reservoir extension secured to the lowermost corner, communicating means between. the interior of said reservoir andsaidreservoir extension, and access means for ladling molten metal from said reservoir extension.

4'. The furnace set forth in claim 1, including a reservoir extension secured to said lowermost corner, communicating means between said reservoir and said reservoir extension, and pouring spout means secured to said reservoir extension.

5. The furnace set forth in claim 1, including a rectangular reservoir extension mounted to replace the lowermost corner of said furnace and extending therebeyond along the lower end and adjacent lower side.

References, Cited, in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 748,561 Riverall- Dec. 29, 1903 2,074,164 Clair Mar. 16, 1937 2,481,699 Stroman Sept. 13, 1949 2,892,005 Lang et a1. June 23, 195-9 FOREIGN PATENTS 280,516 Italy Dec. 12, 1930 

1. IN AN ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY REACTANGULAR FURNACE FOR MELTING NON-FERROUS METALS HAVING A TUNNEL EXTENDING FROM END TO END, ONE END ADAPTED TO RECEIVE CHARGES OF METAL AND THE OPPOSITE END ADAPTED TO COLLECT THE MELT, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: SUPPORTS CONNECTING WITH SAID FURNACE AND SUPPORTING SAID FURNACE IN A STATIONARY POSITION TO PROVIDE INCLINATON FROM ITS CHARGING END DOWNWARDLY, AND INCLINATION FROM SIDE TO SIDE, WHEREBY ONE CORNER OF SAID FURNACE IS PITCHED LOWER THAN THE REST OF SAID FURNACE TO PROVIDE A MELTING RESERVOIR WITHIN SAID FURNACE. 